Strengthening Connection
by Jadesaber
Summary: Set the day after Yugi's duel with Arcana. Yugi loves Yami, but doesn't know how to tell him. When Marik attacks, will Yugi be able to admit his feelings?
1. Default Chapter

            Hey all!! Wow, my second in a month! I must be on a roll! Hope you enjoy this story. I've been reading a lot of Yami/Yugi romance fics, so I decided to do one of my own. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. Wish I did, but I don't.

Warnings: This is a Yaoi (male/male relationship) fic! If you don't like it, then don't read this. The main pair is Yami/Yugi, but I might add some more later.

Background: I placed this the day after the three episodes they just showed Saturday (the ones with the duel with Arcana). This is AU. The first chapter is all in Yugi's POV. So, enjoy! On to the story!!

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Chapter 1: Premonition

I glance at the clock. It's only half an hour until the alarm goes off and I have to get ready for the day. Yami is asleep in his soul room, but I haven't been able to sleep very well. Too much to think about, I guess. Most of it, I hate to admit, centered around Yami, the spirit from my Puzzle.

            We had our third encounter with Marik, yesterday. He told us that he's after Yami's power and that he'll banish me to the Shadow Realm when he wins. To be perfectly honest I'm more scared for Yami than I am for myself. Marik just wants to use him for his power. He doesn't care about Yami. Not like I do.

            I've been feeling a strange connection to him for a while now. Ever since we faced Pegasus and we had to work so closely together. It's more than our soul link. I wasn't sure what it was until I faced Bandit Keith and almost lost the Puzzle (and Yami) in the fire. Now I know. I'm in love with Yami. In love with the one person who could never love me back in the same way. He's my guardian, my protector. There's no way he could ever return my feelings.

            The alarm goes off suddenly, startling me. I swat it and get out of bed. I don't feel ready to face the second day of the tournament. But I don't have much of a choice. I have to help Yami defeat Marik and discover his past. I feel Yami waking up inside the Puzzle as I choose an outfit for the day.

            Since Yami is going to be out for most of day, I choose the same outfit we wore when he had his date with Tea. Personally I think he looked hot in it. But I won't ever tell him that. He would probably turn away from me if I did. Besides, he needs all his focus on this tournament. He doesn't need me distracting him.

            //Good morning, Yugi.// Yami says as I pull on my shirt.

            /'Morning, Yami!/ I reply brightly, even though I don't' feel very happy right now.

            //Ready for the next day of the tournament?// He asks.

            'Not really.' I think, but I force myself to sound happy. /Of course!/

            He doesn't say anything after that. I'm not sure if he believed me or not. Sometimes he can pick up on my emotions, even if I don't want him to. Oh well. I go downstairs to get some breakfast. My grandfather is already up and is drinking some coffee while reading the paper.

            "Good morning, Yugi!" He says, looking up from his paper and smiling at me.

            "Good morning, Grandpa." I reply, heading to the refrigerator and pulling out the milk.

            I grab a box of cereal and a bowl and sit down to eat. After I'm done I clear my dishes and stand up.

            "See you later, Grandpa!" I call as I walk out the door.

            As soon as I step outside I have a feeling of foreboding. Something bad is going to happen. Soon. I force myself to walk down the street, heading for the center of the city.

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            Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please review! And let me know if you want any other pairings in this story. I'll see what I can work them in. This is my first romance fic, and the first Yaoi pairing I've ever written. So please go easy on me.


	2. Encouraging Words

            I'm glad so many of you like my story so far. I hope you will continue to enjoy it.

Review Responses:

Chaos: I'm not sure if a Marik/Malik pairing will work for this story. But we'll have to see.

SniperYingFa: I agree, Yami and Yugi do make a really cute couple. Thanks for the review!

Ishizu: I'm glad you think I've captured Yugi's character so well. I hope you like the way everyone else's characters come out too.

Yami-no-Yugi: I'm glad you liked the first chapter so much. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING ME ON YOUR FAVORITES LIST!!! I'm really happy! Enjoy the second chapter!

Midnight Phoenix: I love Yami/Yugi pairings too. Glad you like the story so far. Here's the next chapter.

Angel Reaper: Glad you like it. Here's the next part!

ilpalazzo: Sorry about the format. I'll see if I can fix it. As for the couples, I think I am going to just stick mainly with Yami/Yugi. Although I've had requests for Marik/Malik as well. So they might pair up in the end. We'll see.

Yami's Girl710: Glad you like it so much. Hope I didn't make you wait too long for the next chapter.

xtreemmasheen3k2: I did put a warning at the beginning of the story as well as mentioning it in the summary. If you don't like Yaoi stories, then you don't have to read them. Thanks for the info on the TV series though.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yugioh.

            Well, here's the next chapter. It's in Yami's POV this time. Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Encouraging Words

I can tell Yugi is awake. As I shake the remnants of sleep from mind I can sense that he is worried about something. I mentally prepare for the day, as he showers and gets dressed. I don't think he got much sleep last night. I can sense fatigue at the edges of his awareness. I decide to see if he'll tell me what's wrong.

            //Good morning, Yugi.//

            /'Morning, Yami!/ He replies happily, but I can tell that it's forced.

            //Ready for the next day of the tournament?// I ask, hoping he'll tell me what's bothering him.

            He pauses a moment before replying, as if deciding on what to say.

            /Of course!/

            It's clear that he isn't going to tell me. I could just read his mind, but that would be invading his privacy, and I won't do that unless I have to. I remain quite as he finishes getting ready and eats breakfast. He lingers a moment before getting up and leaving the house. 'Strange, he's usually eager to leave in the morning. He loves being outside.'

            As he walks towards the center of town, I appear in my spirit form and walk beside him.

            //Yugi, are you sure there is nothing wrong?// I try again.

            He looks up at me, then faces forward again. He doesn't reply right away, and take the time to study him. He's wearing a pair of tight, black, leather pants and a black leather shirt without sleeves. I recognize the outfit as the one I wore about a week ago when I went on that "date" with Tea. I actually like the way he looks in it. 'It really shows off his figure. I should ask him to wear things like that more often. He looks cute . . .' I stop myself right there. I almost can't believe I was thinking that. But then again, it's true.

He finally responds, saving me from having to think about that anymore.

/I'm just worried about the tournament./ He says, looking up at me again. /I mean, there's so much at stake here. Not just with the tournament, but with Marik and you. I don't know what to do./

I smile at him. 'Is that what he's been worried about?'

//Listen, Yugi. Everything will be fine. We'll deal with Marik when and where he shows up. We can't spend all our time worry about him. As for the tournament, we'll just do our best. Like we always do. There's really no reason to worry about.//

/But what about what Marik said. He's after you and the Puzzle. He won't stop until he gets it. What happens if he does get it? I don't think I could stop him if he really came after us./

//Yugi, we'll be alright.// We pause and I try to figure out how to say this. //Yes, Marik is after the Puzzle, but so was Pegasus. Bakura's Yami is still after it. As long as the Puzzle and I exist, people are going to be after its power. I've known this all along. I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this, too. But I know that together we can deal with anything that Marik can throw at us. You'll do fine. You just have to trust yourself and your abilities like I do.//

He looked at me, surprised for a moment, as he processed what I had said. Then he smiled. A small smile, but I could sense the lift in his spirits. He might still be worried, but he wasn't as worried as he was before.

/Thank you, Yami./ He said, then he continued onward.

I returned to my soul room thinking about what he had said. 'He needs to learn to trust himself. I won't always be able to protect him.' I sigh, and we continue on to face the second day of the tournament.

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            Well? What do you think? Please review? It really helps me with my work. Thanks!!


	3. Friends

            I'm really sorry for not updating this in like two weeks. But I've been focusing on my other story "School of Magick". Anyway, here's another chapter. It's a little longer than the first two. I hope it make up for me not updating for so long. This chapter is still a little slow, but things will pick up next chapter. Enjoy!

Review Responses:

holo: I'm glad you like the story. I hope you like this chapter too.

SniperYingFa: I'm glad you like this so far. This chapter is a little longer than the last two. There's more Yugi angst too.

SniperYingFa: (again) Thanks for defending me. I didn't like yaoi fics at first either, but I kept an open mind and read a few. Now I like them more than straight fics.

Chibi: Well, this is more angst than fluffiness, but I'm glad you like it so far.

Mononoke: Glad you like this so far. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Amy: I'm glad you like the story. I love Yami/Yugi pairings too. They're so cute together!

DeathReborn: Well, I'm not sure if I can work in any more pairings, but I'll see what I can do. This is mainly going to be Yami/Yugi though.

Angel Reaper: Yeah, he does. I think Yugi looked really cute in that outfit and Yami looked really sexy.

woodelf193: I'm glad you like the story. Here's another chapter!

Notes: //Yami to Yugi//  /Yugi to Yami/  'Thinking'  "Speaking"

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh! I would love to, but I don't.

            All right. Now, on with the chapter. This is from Yugi's POV again.

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Chapter 3: Friends

            As Yami disappeared back into the puzzle I smiled to myself. It wasn't often that he came out of the puzzle unless we were dueling. He must really be worried about me and wanted to cheer me up. I continued walking. It was only a few more blocks until I reached the center of town. I was supposed to meet up with Joey and Mai there. Joey would probably be late and Mai would probably complain, but that was okay.

            I still wasn't sure what I would do about Marik. He was bound to keep sending people after me. I had no way of knowing who was working for him and who was a normal duelist. And if Marik could control anyone with the magic of his Millennium Rod then anyone I dueled might be one of his mind-controlled slaves. I can't keep watching over my shoulder all the time. What can I do?

            Yami says that I need to deal with Marik when he showed up, but I don't think I can do that. Yami also said that I needed to trust myself more. I guess that's true, but I can't help worrying. I was always picked on until Yami and my friends showed up. And I really haven't been able to do much without their help. How am I supposed to deal with Marik if I can't even deal with some simple bullies?

            //You can do this, Yugi.// Says again from inside his soul room.

            He must have sensed my confusing and worry. I must be broadcasting to him through our link. I can't help it though. I've learned how to block **him** out, but I can't block myself from him. That just adds another worry to my list. What if he can sense what I feel for him? He hasn't said anything, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know. I still don't know how he feels. He's very good at blocking me out. I very rarely feel anything from him. The only time I've been able to really feel his emotions when we were working so closely together against Pegasus.

            Thinking about that brings another smile to my face. He was so strong; so brave. He was everything I wasn't and that's one of the reasons I fell in love with him. I don't think I can ever tell him though. He has too much to worry about as it is. I shouldn't put something else on him. Besides, I don't think he could ever feel the same way about me.

            I can see the center of town now. The small park there is full of people. I'm supposed to meet Mai and Joey at the fountain in the center. As I weave my way through the crowd a feeling of apprehension crawls down my spine. Anyone around me could be after the puzzle. I unconsciously grab the chain it hangs on in a death grip.

            Finally, I spot Mai waiting by the fountain. She's facing the opposite direction so she doesn't see me. I break into a run and call out to her. She turns and smiles at me. Joey's still nowhere to be seen, but the tournament doesn't start again for another ten minutes.

            "Hey, Yugi." Mai greets me, then she takes a closer look at me and frowns. "Did you sleep okay? Your eyes look bloodshot."

            "Yeah, I'm fine." I lie, not wanting to talk about it. "How about you? Ready for the second day of the tournament?"

            "I was born ready." She replies, flinging some of her hair over her shoulder and smirking. "But seriously, you don't look good. Your going to have to be at your best for this tournament, you know."

            I nod my head. A little surprised that she actually seems to care about me. Maybe there's more to Mai than I thought.

            "I mean, I want to fight you at your best." She adds.

            I should have seen that coming. Although I think, deep down, Mai does care. She reminds me of Joey sometimes. He's really hot headed, jokes around a lot, and can be really self-centered. But he really does care.

            //They'd make an interesting couple.// Yami says, and I smile again.

            /If they didn't kill each other first./ I reply. /I mean, they argue so much./

            //Hmmm.// He replies with a tone of voice that says he knows something that I don't.

            /All right. I know that tone of voice. What do you know?/

            //Nothing.//

            /Yami./

            //It's nothing, Yugi.//

            /Alright./ I know that tone of voice too.

            Yami can be so stubborn sometimes. Another thing I love about him. I shake my head. I really have to focus on the tournament. It's going to be hard enough with me not getting much sleep. I don't need be distracted as well. Besides I've waited this long to deal with my feelings, I can wait until the tournament is over.

            "Hey Yug!"

            I turn and smile as I see Joey running up. His hair is mused from running and his shirt is wrinkled. He probably grabbed whatever came to hand first. He's not a morning person, and even though the tournament starts at nine, and he as to get up earlier on school days, he still has trouble getting up on time.

            "Hey Joey!" I call back, waving.

            "Well, look what the cat dragged in." Mai adds as Joey reaches us, and stops to catch his breath. "I thought you'd never get here."

            "Nice to see you too, Mai." Joey says between gasps for air.

            "Well, it looks like its time for the tournament to start again. I'll see you guys later." With that, Mai starts walking away.

            "See you later Mai! Good luck!" I call after her.

            "Save it for Joey. He's the one who needs the luck." She replies before disappearing into the crowd.

            "Why that . . ." Joey starts, throwing a dirty look in the direction she left. "I don't see why you insist on hanging out with her, Yug."

            "Oh come on. She's not that bad."

            "Yeah, right." Joey looks around.

            "Well, I better be going. I only have two locator cards so far and I need four more if I want to make it to the finals. So, I'll see you later, Yug."

            "Bye Joey!"

            I guess I should get going too. I've got only three locator cards. I bet Mai has at least four by now. I close my eyes and the puzzle glows as Yami take over our body. He opens our eyes and looks around.

            //Ready, Yugi?//

            'Not really.' I think, but I put false cheerfulness into my "voice" and reply. /Ready. Lets get going./

            I can feel his assent and we start walking in the opposite direction that Mai and Joey took. The crowd is dispersing, the duelists gathered here going out to look for people to duel. Again, I have a feeling of impending doom. This is going to be a long day, I can tell. And I'm not sure if the ending will be happy or not.

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            Well, there's another chapter. Sorry again for not updating sooner. The action will pick up next chapter. Please review?


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